The hits came with such rapidity – often, one merging into another – that we were left marvelling at the sheer scale of Burt’s oeuvre. Did he really write that? And that, too? “What the World Needs Now” was followed by “This Guy’s in Love”, which was followed by “Close to You”, which, in turn, was followed by “Trains and Boats and Planes”. And so it went on, Burt playing those unmistakable lilting melodies on the piano, deep into the night.

But Burt Bacharach owns Wilderness, tossing out stone-cold classics on Saturday night at a rate of roughly one a minute – What’s New Pussycat?, Walk on By, I Say a Little Prayer, a stunning Anyone Who Had a Heart – as if to show that he has more hits in a single medley than the rest of the weekend combined. The perfect dinner party digestif. Mint.

The veteran musician may have recently celebrated his 86th birthday but the six-time Grammy Award winner and three-time Oscar winner from Kansas City shows no sign of slowing down any time soon, mouthing the words to his hit songs as he energetically played piano.

After three standing ovations Burt was finally allowed to leave the stage, but not before a voice shouted from the crowd “when are you coming back again?” He laughed as he responded “I wish it was tomorrow.”

As Burt prepares to kick off his summer tour of Europe, I just received word of a new U.S. date has arrived. Burt will perform at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, Nov. 23.

Burt has added two dates to his already busy European tour this summer.

On July 20, he’ll perform in Venice, Italy, at the Theatre la Fenice and on Aug. 5, he’ll perform a second show at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, England. That show is in addition to his previously announced performance there on Aug. 1.

As always, for the latest list of concerts I have, visit the On Tour page.

In what is probably old news to many of his fans there, Burt has officially announced a number of concert dates this summer in Italy. On July 16, he’ll perform as part of the Ravello Festival in breathtakingly beautiful Ravello, Italy, and on July 18, he’ll be at the Festival del Vittoriale in Brescia, Italy.

As always, for the most up-to-date list of upcoming concerts I’ve got, visit the On Tour page.

The songs I am working on with Burt Bacharach are not being prepared for recording. Initially they are being prepared for performance on stage and for a musical. The production will have to reach a certain degree of success before we would think about an original cast record where we would represent at on record. That might not even more as automatic as it used to be because as you know the business of making records has changed quite a lot. Before every little thing was recorded. Now, not so much.